Amusement ride



N. BARTLETT AMUSEMENT RIDE Feb. 4, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet l Original FiledOct. 29, 1953 INVENTOR.

NORMA N BARTL ETT CZMYL M Q A ATTORNEYS:

Feb. 4, 1958 N. BARTLETT 2,822,173

AMUSEMENT RIDE Original Filed Oct. 29, 1953 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V ENTOR.

NORMAN BARTLETT BY I ATTORNEYS.

N. BARTLETT AMUSEMENT RIDE Feb. 4, 1958 T T H&& u M 9 8 ER N VA R a? m mm M m NM M 3 R M N Y N Q \m. Nu. Oh Q0 Qriginal Filed Oct. 29, 1953United States Patent U RIDE Norman Bartlett, Uleta, Fla., assignmofone-half to Marjorie Bartlett, Uleta, Fla.

Original application October 29, 1953, Serial No. 389,074. Divided andthis application October 6, 1955, Serial No. 538,950

4 Claims. (Cl. -272-36) This invention relates to amusement rides andparticularly'to improvements in amusement rides of the roundabout type.This application is a division of my co-pending application Serial No.389,074, filed October 29, 1953.

The present invention provides a ride of the roundabout type whereinthepassenger compartments or passenger supporting figures or the like aredisposed at'the outer ends of a plurality 'of radiating arms, which armsare adapted to raise and lower as they rotate about a fixed verticalaxis. A novel drive arrangement is provided whereby alternate arms inthe circular series move upwardly as the intervening alternate arms movedownwardly, so that one passenger or rider is moving upwardly as thepassengers or riders immediately in front of and behind him are movingdownwardly. The drive arrangement is further such that one rider orpassenger reaches the high point in his vertical oscillation at the sametime that the'passengers in front of and behind him reach the lowestpoint in their vertical reciprocations, and vice versa.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a general elevational view' of one form of the ride ofthepresent invention with portions thereof shown in cross-section for addedclearness;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan View of the central drive portion ofthen'de shown in'Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view on a' larger scale takenapproximatelyon the line III1II of Fig. 2.

Like characters of reference denote-like parts throughout the severalfigures of the drawings. The ride of the present invention is generallyof the roundabout type and comprises a vertical central rotatable shaftmember and a relatively stationary vertical mast member 11 surmountingand supported by the shaft 10, the stationary mast 11 comprising acentral vertical tent pole for supporting the central portion of acircular canopy member 12 as shown in Fig. l. Shaft 1'0 has rotatablehearing at its lower end in a bearing member 14 which is included in astructural framework which is designated generally by=t-he numeral 15inFig. 1 and includes any desired form of means for tying the framework tothe ground or other surface where the ride of the present invention isto be used.

In the present instance the ride is of the carrousel or merry-go-roundtype and is shown to include a circular series of animal simulatingfigures designated 20. In the present instance there are twelve animalfigures 20, each of which is supported at the outer end of an arm 21with the several arms 21 radiating centrally from the axis of shaft 10.The arms 21 are pivotally supported at their inner ends for swingingmovement to raise and lower the animal figures as they pursue a circularcourse about mast 10.

Each arm 21 is alternately raised and lowered during operation of theride and it is desired that each arm be raised and lowered in anopposite phase to that of the immediately forward and immediatelyrearward adjacent arm. Thus in the present instance six alternatelydisposed -.2 arms will be reaching theirhighestpoint in the raisingmovement at the same instant that-the intervening six arms are'reach-ingth'eir'lowest'poi'nt. Novelmeans are provided for 'efiectingthis'desired' relationship of. the raising andlowering'movements of thevarious arms 21, as will be' hereinafter described.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, and particularly'the latter, a pair ofcircular drum members 25 and 26 are fixed one above the other "about asleeve or tube'member -27 which has antifriction bearingsupport-on shaft10 at its upper and lower ends as at 28 and 29, respectively. "Acircular plate 30 is fixed to the lower en'd'of tube 27 and has securedthereto a ring ge'ar-31'w'hich meshes with adrive pinion 32.

7 Referring to Fig; l, framework 15 supports anelectric driving motor 35which has belt and pulley "or "chain "and sprocket connection with theinput shaft of a speed reducer 36 whose output shaft-in the presentinstance extends vertically and is designated38. Pinion32'is fixed tothe upper end of shaft '38 and'the latter further has secured thereto asprocket member which is part bf a chain and sprocket drive designated-40 in Fig. 1, 'the companion sprock et 'being 'fixed to the lowerportion "of mast 10.

From the "foregoing it will be seen that, with the'outputshaft 38 oft-he-"speed freducerrot-ating in a given'direction, shaft 10 will berotated in the same direction because 'of the chain and sprocketconnection-4'4), while sleeve '27 will be rotated in an'oppositedirectionbecause of 'the pinion and "gear connection 32, '31. Thus therelative rotation as between mast lit and sleeve'"27- which carries thedrum members 25 "a-nd'26 will be the sum of their separate rotations inopposite directions.

Referring to Fig. 3, a-radiating support-arm 21 is pivoted-to a lug48'011 drum member 25 as at '49 and another of the radiatingarms-21 ispivoted to a lug 50 on drum member 26 as at 51. Thus six alternatelyoccurring radiating arms 21'are pivoted at theirinnerends 'to drummember 25 and the sixinterv ening radiating'arms-M are similarly pivotedto drum member 26. 2 From this it will be seen -that each of *theradiating ar-ms 21is adapted-to be rotatedby andupon rotation ofs'leeve' and the arms 21are each further mounted-for raising- "andlowering moveinents about their several pivotaleonnections '49 and=51. I

-Each of: the arms 21 is provided with. an-' uppenbrace memberetl- 'an'dan inner strut 'memb'er='61 whereby 't-he several arms 21 together withtheir braces dti andstrut members 61 each form :a rigid truss 'orA-frame, this construction be'ingprovided for rigidity and also to faeilitate imparting raising and "lowering moveme'n-ts to the several arms21 as'will now appear.

Having reference n'owvto'Figsrl land 3, a p'air ef cireulareccentriobl'oclenrembers 65 and-'66 arefixed one above the other -to:thendtatable shafttatl :for rotatinn ft'her ewith. An eccentric strapor sheave 68 has antifriction rotatable engagement about eccentric 65and a second eccentric strap or sheave 69 likewise has antifrictionrotatable engagement about eccentric 66. Eccentric strap 68 is providedwith six equally spaced radiating lugs 70 each of which has pivotalconnection with the inner end of a link 71 as at 72.

Each link 71 is pivotally connected as at 74 in Fig. l with a strutmember 61 of one of the radiating arm members 21 of the group of armmembers which are pivotally attached to drum member 25. Similarly,eccentric strap 69 is provided with six radiating lugs 75 each of whichhas pivotal engagement with the inner end of a link 76 as at '77, theouter end of each link 76 being connected to one of the strut members 61of the group of arms 21 which have pivotal connection with the lowerdrum member 26.

In the position shown in Fig. 2 the upper eccentric 65 has its highestpoint or top dead-center point directly to the right of the axis ofshaft 10 as viewed in Fig. 2, while the lower eccentric 66 has itslowest point or bottom dead-center point located at or directed towardthe arm 21 which is displaced 30 degrees from the top deadcenter pointof eccentric 65 in a counterclockwise direction, this 30 degreesdisplacement being equal to the annular spacing of the several radiatingarms 21. Thus when a given arm 21 has reached its bottom extremeposition during the operation of its associated eccentric lifting andlowering mechanism the arm directly behind will have reached its highestpoint of lift through operation of its related eccentric lifting andlowering mechanism. This eccentric arrangement imparts a maximumappearance of lifting and lowering movement of the passenger supportingdevices with a given actual amplitude of movement.

Referring to Fig. l, a pair of target panels 78 and 79 are fixed tocentral mast 11 and radiate outwardly therefrom in opposite directions.The rotation of the ride being clockwise as viewed in plan, the ridersapproach the face of target 78 which is shown in Fig. 1 and subsequentlyapproach the rear face of target 79 as there viewed, that being thefront face as far as the riders are concerned.

In the present instance each of the target panels 78 and 79 has a pairof target figures 80 and 81 associated therewith as by being paintedthereon or otherwise. The shooting and target portions of the ride formthe subject matter of the aforesaid parent application, Serial No.389,074 and are fully disclosed and described therein.

What is claimed is:

1. In an amusement ride of the roundabout type, a

central vertical shaft and a support rotatable about the axis of saidshaft, two sets of arms radiating from said support, each arm having apassenger supporting means at its outer end, means for rotating saidsupport about the axis of said shaft, the arms of one set being spacedalternately between the arms of the other set as viewed from above,eccentric means carried by said shaft and having connection with thearms of one set to raise and lower said arms successively duringrotation thereof, and other eccentric means carried by said shaft andhaving connection with the arms of the other set to raise and lower saidarms successively during rotation thereof, said two eccentric meansbeing disposed substantially oppositely whereby each arm of one setraises and lowers substantially oppositely with respect to an adjacentarm of the other set.

. 2. In an amusement ride of the roundabout type, a central verticalshaft and a support rotatable about the axis of said shaft, two sets ofpassenger supporting arms radiating from said support, each arm beingpivoted to said support on a horizontal axis transverse with respect tothe arm, means for rotating said support about the axis of said shaft,the arms of one set being spaced alternately between the arms of theother set as viewed from above, eccentric means carried by said shaftand having connection with the arms of one set to raise and lower saidarms about their horizontal pivot axes successively during rotation ofsaid support, and other eccentric means carried by said shaft and havingconnection with the arms of the other set to raise and lower said armsabout their horizontal pivot axes successively during rotation thereof,said two eccentric means being disposed substantially oppositely wherebyeach arm of one set raises and lowers substantially oppositely withrespect to an adjacent arm of the other set.

3. In an amusement ride of the roundabout type, a central vertical shaftand a support rotatable about the axis of said shaft, two sets of armsradiating from said support, each arm having a passenger receiving meansat its outer end, means for rotating said support about said shaft, thearms of one set being spaced alternately between the arms of the otherset as viewed from above, a pair of oppositely directed eccentrics fixedto said shaft, a strap about one of said eccentrics and havingconnection with the arms of one set to raise and lower said armssuccessively during rotation thereof, and a second strap about the otherof said eccentrics and having connection with the arms of the other setto raise and lower said arms successively during rotation thereof,whereby each arm of one set raises and lowers substantially oppositelywith respect to the adjacent arms of the other set.

4. In an amusement ride of the roundabout type, a central vertical shaftand a support rotatable about the axis of said shaft, two sets ofpassenger supporting arms radiating from said support, each arm beingpivoted to said support on a horizontal axis transverse with respect tothe arm, means for rotating said support about the axis of said shaft,the arms of one set being spaced alternately between the arms of theother set as viewed from above, a pair of oppositely directed eccentricsfixed to said shaft, a strap about one of said eccentrics and havingconnection with the arms of one set to raise and lower said arms abouttheir horizontal pivot axes successively during rotation of saidsupport, and a second strap about the other of said eccentrics andhaving connection with the arms of the other set to raise and lower saidarms about their horizontal pivot axes successively during rotationthereof, whereby each arm of one set raises and lowers substantiallyoppositely with respect to the adjacent arms of the other set.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,113,131 Eyerly Apr. 5, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS 657,227 Great BritainSept. 12, 1951

